Ontario surges clear in $175K Listed Athenia
NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods’ Ontario, expertly piloted by Dylan Davis, secured her first career stakes win to complete a Joe Sharp-trained exacta over Miwa in Friday’s $175,000 Listed Athenia, a nine-furlong inner turf route for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont Park.
The appropriately-named 5-year-old Ontario-bred daughter of Ghostzapper split rivals at the top of the stretch and rallied impressively down the lane to score by 3 1/4-lengths over fellow closer and stablemate Miwa to notch her first stakes win in her third attempt.
Storm Miami showed the way through splits of 22.94 seconds and 47.01 over the firm footing, while pressed by Mischief in Motion, with a gap back to the stalking even-money favorite Grayosh in third. Davis was content to save ground in fifth position aboard Ontario in front of the trailing Miwa as three-quarters elapsed in 1:10.93.
“I knew they were going pretty quick, to her liking, but I just wanted to be able to get her into a good rhythm,” explained Davis, who noted he had been bothered at the break by Mischief in Motion, who broke outward.
The Antonio Fresu-piloted Miwa advanced into contention with an outside run through the final turn as Davis, who was following the Samuel Marin-piloted Grayosh, searched for an inside route, finding a seam as the field straightened away and surging between the embattled Storm Miami and Mischief in Motion to take command.
Miwa was flying down the center of the course to come side-by-side with the new leader, but Ontario felt the pressure and had plenty more to give, easily turning back her rival and powering away to win in a final time of 1:46.48.
Davis said he was able to make his move once Grayosh angled out and brushed with the Jose Lezcano-piloted Starship Athena.
“She was tracking nicely. She was on the bridle for me,” Davis said. “I was tracking Grayosh, which I was happy about. Then down the backside, I knew she'd create some gaps for me to give me some options. Her rider [Marin] was looking to get out there, pushing Lezcano out which created a gap on the inside for me to take a shot. The filly exploded through there, nice and strong."
Miwa was 2 1/4-lengths better than third-place Grayosh with Mischief in Motion, Starship Athena and Storm Miami rounding out the order of finish. Princess Attitude was scratched.
Fresu said he was pleased with the effort from the hard-trying Miwa.
“I thought she ran huge. She settled really well in behind, which was the plan. She always needs a target,” Fresu said. “I thought I had a clear shot from the quarter-pole, she went for it, but kind of like stood there a little bit, but I think the winner was much the best today. She had a good trip up the inside and she beat me really well. I was still very happy with my filly though."
Ontario made her three previous outings at nine furlongs, including an off-the-board effort in an off-the-turf optional-claiming tilt in June at Churchill Downs ahead of a win on turf at the same level in August at Saratoga Race Course. She entered Friday’s test from a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Belfountain versus fellow Ontario-breds on September 13 at Woodbine. Her only other stakes effort came with a fifth-place try in the Canadian-bred Bison City in August 2024.
Bred by Narola and Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., Ontario is out of the stakes-placed Street Cry mare Mexican Hat, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Secret Spice. Her third dam is graded stakes-winner Chimichurri.
Ontario banked $96,250 in victory while improving her record to 15-4-2-2. She returned $23.96 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont Park with an 11-race card featuring the Listed $175,000 Knickerbocker in Race 9 and the state-bred $175,000 Key Cents in Race 10. First post on Saturday is 11:05 a.m. Eastern. Belmont Park will be open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 6:45 p.m. on Saturday so racing fans can watch and wager on the simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup from Keeneland. Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup program is headlined by the Grade 1, $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
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